Don't Mention
by LoserLikeSkeeter
Summary: A look into Damon's mangled mind in one of the most vulnerable times in his immortal life. 5 years later
1. Chapter 1

Somehow, I managed to stand there and watch as she walked down the aisle. Even from where I was; ten rows back, three people deep, I could still hear her heart beat. And I was surprised it wasn't pumping out of her chest. She leaned all of her weight against Alaric as he practically dragged her up the red carpeted aisle. If it weren't for the Scotch currently under the pew I was sitting at, I may not have been able to make it through the service.

Of all people, why Matt? The eternal bottle-blond bus boy? When she came home that night two years ago and told me she was engaged, I tried, with the gusto of a hound dog, to get her to end the engagement.

After Stefan had gone to the edge of glory and made a complete 180, he had run away. A month later, I saw his obituary. He had died in Warner Robins. They say the cause of death was unknown. That unknown had a name, and it was Katherine Pierce. Driven to the edge, Elena had leapt back into the arms of the ever-waiting Matt.

I'm not really even supposed to be here. The last I'd heard from Elena was four months ago. She wanted nothing to do with Mystic Falls anymore. Being five months pregnant, she was starting to show. It wasn't me, she promised. It was the she didn't want her child to be born into a vampire-infested-folklore-legend-ghost-town, as she had put it. Matt had bought them an apartment in Baltimore, and they were moving there at the end of the week, after all of the wedding stuff was squared away. Even with her baby bump, Elena out-shined her bridesmaids Bonnie and Caroline by leaps and bound.

Even though she lost her "one and only" as Elena had put it at one point of Stefan, I lost my brother. But for the first week or so, I had to try to shut off my own emotions and help her through. After that, the tables turned, though. We got along. You could've actually considered us friends. We went to the stupid Founder's Parties together, and actually managed to make each other laugh sometimes.

She turned her back on me so fast it almost gave me whiplash. I even went on the Bambi diet for a while to prove to her that I could control myself. The last thing she told me was, "You're a good person, and I feel for you. And to be honest, I probably love you, but it doesn't erase what you've done; to me, to Stefan, to this godforsaken town. I'm getting out- and I hope to God you don't follow me."

Now as she stood there in front of the pastor, reading off her vows, I would have sworn I saw her shed a tear. Not for Matt, either. I could tell she knew I was here. When she gazed out across the crowd, I managed to catch her eye. A wink was all I could muster. Elena let out an exasperated, choked sob. I knew she didn't want this. I knew what I had to do.

"I object." I mustered, standing from the pew.

The pastor looked absolutely befuddled, "I haven't asked for-"

"I don't give a rat's ass, Old Man." I answered back, feeling a bit more confident, "Can you people not tell that she is _miserable?_" Even though those hurtful things had been said so long ago, I could actually see Elena's face light up when I stood.

It remained silent for a steady thirty seconds, allowing for the shock of what had just happened to wear on everyone. Gradually, whispering began to increase, as Matt stood there, absolutely dumb-founded. I stood at the bottom of the alter, waiting for something else to come to mind, or for somebody else to chime in. Luckily, it was the ladder.

"I second that." Bonnie nearly whispered, from her place directly beside Elena. She dropped both of their bouquets to the ground and rested a hand on Elena's shoulder.

Suddenly, torsos began to emerge from over pews as about six others stood. Among those were Alaric, Jeremy, and Tyler. Even Caroline stepped forward out of the bridesmaid line. Matt simply stood, with a simply dumbfounded look on his face. He was absolutely speechless, as always. Seen, but not heard. Sometimes, I tend to believe he needs to stay that way. I swear, every time he opens his damn mouth, he makes me want to kill something.

Apparently, the overwhelming reaction had taken Elena over. She collapsed to the ground. I naturally went to the floor after her and lifted her up into my arms. As if it were the most natural thing in the world, I began to walk her back up the aisle and out the doors of the church, dropped her in the back seat of my car, and took off back to the Boarding House. We had barely been driving for five minutes when I heard a tiny whisper from the back seat, "Thank you, Damon." She whispered. I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't mention it." I answered back to her, letting a small smile spread across my face, "Ever."


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning came quickly. Elena and I had both fallen asleep on the couch in the most awkward positions and by the time we woke up, I was on the ground, half underneath the coffee table, and she was spread-eagle on the couch. Even though last night was an all time low for both of us, I had to admit; she looked good in my shirt.

After we had left the wedding and I had gotten her home, we were both quick to realize that she didn't have anything decent to wear. Yes, there was what was left in Stefan's room of hers, but most of that consisted of skimpy nightware. I wouldn't have minded seeing her walking around my house like that, but I'm sure she would've had a thing or two to say about me voicing that particular opinion. So, she had taken to wearing my clothes. Even in her broken, disheveled, and pregnant state, I liked the thought of what something like this would've looked like to other people.

My thoughts were cut short by the tiny knock at the door. I answered it quickly, with a small scowl when I saw who it was. There, in my door way, stood the witch bitch and vampire Barbie, "What do you want?" I asked in annoyance, not even bothering to put a shirt on before opening the door. They weren't worth the effort.

"Figured Elena could use a good meal when she wakes up." Caroline answered, pushing past me, marching directly to the kitchen, shopping bags in hand.

"By all means, _come in._" my voice bled with sarcasm as I followed her to the kitchen and Bonnie followed behind me, "You know, I _can _cook, right?"

"You've never cooked for a pregnant girl before, have you?" Caroline asked, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. She quickly began to load down the counter with the items from her shopping bags. Eggs, bacon, peanut butter, pickles, Rolos, mayonnaise, Root Beer, and three different kinds of ice cream. I couldn't even fathom what was about to go down in my kitchen, but whatever it was, I knew it couldn't possibly be anything good.

"Okay, this looks like a recipe for insta-puke, and I'm not sticking around if she starts to hurl." I had never been one for bodily fluids. I know, kind of an oxymoron, but sickness always grossed me out.

"Trust me," Caroline chortled, collecting pots and pans like she owned the damn place, "Elena's mom ate this stuff by the ton before she had Jeremy."

Twenty minutes into the whole 'cooking' ordeal, Elena came stumbling into the kitchen. I quickly turned to her, but before I could form a full thought to show my concern, Bonnie and already piped up, "How do you feel?" She took Elena by the waste and guided her to the table.

"As good as any dead beat can be, I guess." She answered, "What am I supposed to do about this?" she asked, resting her engagement ring on the table before her.

For the first time all morning, vampire Barbie was speechless. It went on for several moments; awkward staring and grimacing when you accidentally made eye contact with someone. Finally, I swept the diamond ring off the table for myself, "I think I'm going to go pay Matt a visit. I swear to God, if he tried to talk, I will shoved this thing so far up his ass-"

Elena shot me a look, "Damon, please don't do anything too rash. He was my friend."

I couldn't believe what she was doing. She was defending the guy who did this to her. She was exhausted. Anybody who knew her at all could tell. She didn't walk with pep in her step anymore, and for the first time since I had met her, she had bags under her eyes. It was all _his_ fault, and she had the nerve to defend him. Hell, he knocked her up, and then left her out to rot. And she was _defending him._

"Damon's right," Caroline began, snapping me out of my revelry. A look of disappointment was evident on her face, "Matt destroyed you," she whispered, "He deserves whatever Damon is planning. In fact," she turned to me and my heart did a flip as I realized what was about to become the inevitable next, "I'm coming with you." The fact that she was so chipper about it made me want to slug her.

"No. Okay, Blondie?" I chuckled, "You just stay here with Elena and make sure she eats her peanut-egg-Chilupa thing." I insisted, motioning to the grey heap on a plate by the stove.

Elena seemed to perk up a bit at the sight of it, "You guys!" she quipped, "You made my mom's old recipe?" I took my cue to leave, grabbing the ring and escaping out the front door.

I was at The Grill only ten minutes later, sitting at a table in what I knew to be Matt's section, and when he came thinking he was taking the order of some helpless schmuck, he rolled his eyes in the realization that it was just little old me. He quickly tried to double back before I saw him, but it was too late, and I managed to grab the collar of his shirt to stop him, "Nice try." I laughed, sarcasm dripping off my every word, "We're going to talk, now."

"Why are you doing this Damon? Can't you just leave us alone? Is it really this hard for you to stay away from her, because as much as it may suck to hear this, she was my fiancée up until last night and I plan to get her back. You are never going to have her because you know what? She's human and you're not, so you just need to get over yourself, and move on, because she is never going to love you."

Good, so he knew exactly why I was here. I didn't have to do all of the catching up this time, "I know she doesn't love me, but I find it laughable that you thought she loved you." I gave a fake cackle, before looking to make sure nobody was watching. I grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the nearest wall, causing him to choke, "My brother may have died almost five years ago, but you make no mistake, she is still in love with him, and you know what, she probably always will, so you need to get over yourself, because you just look pathetic. Going after Elena that soon after she lost Stefan; bad move. You make no mistake, if you come anywhere near her before her child is born, and I swear on all that is holy- I will rip you from limb to limb. Because I am not Stefan, I don't value the invaluable, and you, my friend, are entirely disposable." I pulled the ring out of my back pocket, "You take this; cash it in, give it to some stoner chick, I don't care, but you take it, and you get out of this town, because if I see you again, you are a dead man. Make sense?" he nodded, teeth gritted. It was obvious he was going to say something else, but I gave him one finally slam against the wall to shake him a bit, before letting him go, paying my bill at the front, and leaving as if nothing had happened.


	3. Chapter 3

Once I was finally back inside my own house and the two perky besties had been sent on their merry way, I collapsed into my favorite couch, with my favorite liquor in hand, in front of the fireplace.

"Isn't it a little early for that?" Elena asked, coming to collapse into the couch beside me, stealing my glass and downing it in one. I was speechless at the act, "So, I figured I should tell you, I got a hold of Jeremy and I'm moving back in with him tomorrow." She was trying to smile; that much was obvious, but wasn't anywhere near convincing. She still looked exhausted, like she hadn't had a fair sleep in months.

Before I could stop them, the words were out of my mouth, "You can stay here, you know."

A half-hearted smile crossed her face, "Damon, I'm four months pregnant. Another month, and I won't be able to fit on this couch anymore. And I'm not exactly keen on the idea of staying in my dead ex-boyfriend's room." I couldn't say anything after that. I knew whatever I was about to say, she would most likely take the wrong way. I felt her hand on my forearm suddenly and looked up to meet her gaze, "Thank you."

"For what?" I asked. _For busting you out of you own wedding? For possibly being the most selfish person ever to be put on this earth?_

As much as I tried to convince myself otherwise, I know I didn't go to that wedding and object for her. I couldn't stand to see her with that human, "You saved me, Damon." Why did she have to do that? Why did she have to make me feel so damn horrible about what I'd done, "Can I tell you something, that you have to promise not to tell anyone?" Were we in the fifth grade again? It just sounded like such a childish thing to say, but I decided to play along.

"Promise," a cocky smirk crossed my face as I lifted up my right hand, "Pinky swear." She latched on and we both laughed together for a solid minute before sobering up, "So, what is it?" I finally managed to ask.

She took a deep breath to compose herself before whispering something that could've killed me, "The baby…" she could barely keep her emotions in check. I could see her internal struggle. Her eyes quickly became glassy, "Matt isn't the father." She spat out, before collapsing into me in quivering heap.

I absently rested my hand on the small of her back, not sure how to respond. I mentally ran through a check-list of anybody it could've possibly been, before coming up blank and asking, "Then who…"

"You'll hate me." Elena whispered, and that sent me reeling wandering what could have possibly been that bad that she could think _that _of all things.

"Elena," I took her face in my hands, but she continued averting her gaze, "Look at me," I commanded and she complied almost instantaneously, "Nothing can be that bad." I tried to lighten the mood by adding, "Plus, I have to know who to tear apart now." It was to no avail.

She took a shallow, shaky breath, before whispering, "Tyler Lockwood."

A million different thoughts began to swirl through my head at lightning speed, "But- werewolves can't- "

"Well, apparently Tyler can. He doesn't even know yet. And I can't tell Caroline because she's the only person I can talk to anymore. She's my best friend. I can't just tell her I slept with her boyfriend! She's like a sister- a really obnoxious, bottle-blond sister. I don't know what to do, Damon."

She buried her head in my shoulder. I couldn't believe this was happening. I held her tight and just let her cry it out, "I don't even know what to say right now." I told her, after the heaviest of the crying had ended, "But I think you need to tell someone, and I think you need to tell them _before _youstart popping off werewolf puppies."

"I can't believe this is happening to me," she sobbed, "If things were normal-"

That was when I had to stop her, "Elena, if things were back to normal, you have Klaus and Elijah on your tail, there would be vampires and werewolves all over this town, all intent on your death, and Katherine would still be in Mystic Falls, trying with all her might to seduce Stefan and me back over to her side. Is that really how you'd prefer it? Because I'm pretty sure there are still some hybrids out there who are just waiting to take a bit out of both of us."

"Well, at least then I wouldn't have this hybrid-human thing growing inside me!" I had to give her that one. That was probably a valid point.

I had nothing left to say. She didn't even remotely resemble Elena anymore. Elena was strong, and fearless. She didn't cry. She didn't come to _me _for comfort. This person almost scared me. For the first time, I noticed the grey growing at her roots. She had been coloring her hair. That was when I realized, this wasn't Elena because she was hiding. She was hiding behind the façade she had been putting up for her former fiancée. As I held her to me, stroking her hair carefully, I knew I was going to have to do everything in my power to bring the old Elena back, "I am going to fix you, Elena."


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you alright?" I asked, standing from the couch, preparing to make my way to my own room, "Do you need anything?" I asked. _Since when did I go so soft? _I wandered to myself. Then I remembered, it _was _Elena.

She shook her head, pulling the throw off the back of the couch and placing it over her lap, "No, I'm okay. Get some sleep." She pushed, "You look like hell."

"Yeah, right back at you." I shot, and she couldn't help but giggle.

"Good night, Damon." She called, as I began to make my way up the stairs to my room. There I fell into a restless sleep. I couldn't help but wish I had another body in my bed with me and that body was downstairs on the _couch._ Of course, for once I didn't want to just have my way with her. I just wanted to be in her presence, because after tomorrow, she might be gone for good.

I awoke in the middle of the night to the sound of breaking china. I eased myself out of bed and snuck down the stairs silently, prepared to pounce on whatever had invaded my house. I turned the corner to the kitchen to a site more shocking than any trespasser, "Elena," I shouted, yanking a half empty bottle out of her hand. She fought for it, before taking another partially emptied bottle off the counter and chugging it until it was empty, "Elena, that has blood in it!" I screamed, grabbing her by the shoulders to keep her from uncapping another bottle.

Tears streamed down her face as she motioned to the spot where a bottle had shattered on the floor. There were several others lying around haphazardly, "Elena, how much have you had to drink?" I asked, eyes narrowing. I knew what was happening.

"I'm not entirely sure. How much was in there?" she asked, peering over to the cabinet. I slowly came to realize that she wasn't drunk, just scared.

"Elena," I whispered as she fell forward and I took her to the ground with me, "I think your baby wants blood." Looking to the cabinet, I quickly realized that the only bottles that were gone were the ones that contained blood.

"There's no way," she cried, tears streaming down her face, "I can't…no…"

"This is starting to sound a lot like the sparkly vampire book."

"No, Damon. This is nothing like 'that sparkly vampire book'. In Twilight, Bella got to keep her vampire, not having him go on some bounty hunt with a mass murderer. And she was married when she started popping out half-breeds. Plus, I think you just equated Tyler to Taylor Lautner, which is kind of creepy."

"Well, you know what," I asked, offering her my hand to help steady herself on the way up from the ground, "There is only one way to test the theory." And with that, we started the long decent down to the cellar, where I stopped her in front of the giant, white freezer, pulling a blood bag, sticking it, and handing it to her, "Drink up." I told her. She stood staring at me, frozen in her spot. Her eyes gradually drifted down to the bag, which she eyed hesitantly, "It tastes worse if it gets warm." I warned, "It's best to drink it fast."

"Damon," she pushed the bag in my direction slowly but surely, "I don't think I can." She stepped away fast, as if that were going to make this whole thing go away.

I grabbed it for myself, "Look, it's easy." I showed her, taking a long drink from it, "The key is to not let it touch the tip of your tongue. If you can manage that, you'll be able to take just about any blood; animal, human or otherwise." I handed her the bag back.

For some reason I began to recollect on when Katherine was just introducing me to human blood. I remembered the trick I had taught myself; don't let the blood touch your tongue. I made it so much easier to muster.

She gave me one final look for reassurance before lifting the blood bag to her lips. She took in the entire bag in one breath, then dropped the empty container to the ground, doubling over, clutching her stomach. I immediately jumped from where I had been leaning against my personal blood bank, "What?" I asked, preparing to grab her around the waste if she fell.

"Nothing, it's nothing." She insisted, standing straight once more, "I think she's kicking." That wasn't exactly what I was expecting to hear. She seemed to lighten at the sensation, though, so I took what I could get.

She suddenly looked up at me, eyes glistening. There was a real, genuine smile on her face; something I hadn't seen in ages, "Do you- you know…want to…"

It occurred to me at the pace of a snail what she was trying to ask. Then I began to back off, feeling somewhat bashful, "No, I don't think-" she waved my comment off in dismissal, before grabbing for my hand and placing it on her tiny bump. There was a tiny jolt under my fingertips, and I saw the raw excitement in her eyes. This was what it was going to take to get the real Elena back. This half vampire, half human, half werewolf…thing.

"That's my baby." She choked, a huge grin gracing her features. Then she gazed up at me, seeming like she had just figured something out, "I'm not afraid." She gasped, taking a moment to absorb the information before bursting into laughter and nearly shouting, "I'm not afraid anymore, Damon."

I chuckled at her excitement. If I didn't know any better, I would have said the alcohol was finally kicking in, but I _did_ know better. I liked knowing that she could be happy and sober at the same time, "Alright," I let her get her laughs out before putting an arm around her waist once more, helping her back up the stairs, "I think you need to get some sleep. You've got a big day tomorrow."

"'Wait, but what are we doing tomorrow?" she questioned, stopping half way up the staircase in confusion.

"I'm taking you to see Alaric, so we can try to figure what that is inside of you." I took her hand, trying to make her continue up the stairs.

"But-" she pulled her hand away, resting it on her stomach, "You talked to Ric without talking to me first? This is my baby, Damon. Besides, I already have a real doctor. I'm a big girl, Damon. I can make my own decisions."

I had to collect myself quickly. I was losing real Elena, "No, I know you can. I just really want to try this. I have a feeling that it could help. I just want to know that you're going to be alright." _Whoa, what? Where the hell did that come from?_

"Since when do you get to call the shots?" Elena quipped. She was making me ball my fists. I had to cover up for the fact that there was a giant amount of fury bubbling up inside of me.

"Elena, we have to figure out what the deal is with this thing. If it's something valuable. You have to remember Elena, Klaus and Katherine are both still out there somewhere, and if this is something that they want, then this town will be just as bad, if not worse than it was five years ago." She stood there with a vacant expression on her face, "Why don't we just go to sleep and we'll talk in the morning." I scooped her up and speak her up the last couple flights of stairs.

"Damon what are you doing?" she asked, as I tucked her into my own bed.

"You," I began, sitting on the very edge of the bed, "are going to sleep in here tonight, and I am going to sleep on this couch." I said, motioning to the small couch at the foot of the bed, "And if you need anything else, I want you to wake me up."

Elena nodded, pulling the sheets up to her nose. I placed my hand on her forehead, brushing a few loose strands of hair out of her face, before nodding, and turning in to my couch for the remainder of the night. For the first time in months, my sleep was sound.

**A/N: Don't forget to review. This is the second chapter that I've posted today. Just let me know how you think it's going. Also, if there is anything you'd like to see happen, let me know. I love hearing your plot bunnies! Five more reviews, and I will post another chapter tomorrow! Love you all!**

**xMagsx**


	5. Chapter 5

When I woke up hours later, it was to the sound of Elena's voice. The sun was casually shining through the clouds. When I sat up to see what she was doing, I was surprised to see her holding that day's newspaper in front of her face, reading aloud.

"Good morning!" she chided, going back to reading the paper moments later.

I stretched, attempting to wake myself up, "What are you doing?" I yawned.

"Reading to her." She responded. Talking to one's stomach was never a good sign, "I read somewhere that children who are read to in the womb learn faster than those who weren't." she answered my unspoken question, "Besides, my mom read out loud when she was pregnant with Jeremy, so I figured I'd try it too."

"_Well,_" I began, "Seeing as we really don't even know what your _baby_ is yet, I'd say it's a crapshoot as to how fast he'll be learning." She took my joke and nodded, a smile gracing her features, "Besides, the fact that Jeremy turned out the way he did should be proof enough that it doesn't work." A huge grin spread across her face, as she threw her head back and cackled wildly, "But seriously; when they say that, don't they mean, like, nursery rhymes or something?"

Elena gave me a look as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "Well, that _would _be ideal, Damon, but you really don't seem like the type to keep _Green Eggs and Ham _lying around the house."

Then it suddenly dawned on me what I needed to get for her, "I've got just the thing…wait right there!" I called over my shoulder, racing out the bedroom door, sprinting down to the library, to grab a tiny, leather bound book, "Try this on for size." I commanded, handing her the book, as I reentered the room excitedly.

She took the pages from me cautiously, reading the title aloud, "The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland?"

"It's a first edition. Look, hand-written and everything!" I paused for a moment, waiting for her response. She looked absolutely dumbp-founded.

She shook her head in amazement, still staring down at the picture on the first page, "Damon, this is - phenomenal."

"You like it?" she nodded furiously, "Keep it, then. Read it to him every night before he goes to sleep. I find books like these are beneficial when attempting to disconnect from reality." She cranked open the first page and began to read aloud. I suddenly found myself lying on the other side of the bed, peering over her shoulder at the pictures as she read, like a common five-year-old.

She had gotten through all of ten pages, lulling me into semi consciousness, when out of the blue, her stomach gave a mighty growl and she looked up impishly, "Sorry." She grumbled, embarrassment written all over her face.

"What do you want?" I asked, standing to run to the kitchen.

"Damon, you don't have to-"

"Yes, I do," I bore a hole directly between her eyes, "You live in my house. You're going to go by my rules."

She suddenly looked incredulous, dropped the book beside her, "Who says I'm staying here? I told you yesterday that after we were done with Alaric, I was going to live with Jeremy. I can't stay here, Damon. Sorry to disappoint." She hoisted herself out of bed, "Now, if you'll excuse me-" she slid past me, clutching her stomach, "I have to-"

"Do whatcha gotta do." I waved her off, not wanting to hear anything about her bodily functionings and goings on, "I will be downstairs cooking your breakfast."

I felt rather proud of myself, having managed to pull together an omelet, bacon, and what was left of the grey lump from the day before. As Elena made her grande entrance, she appeared to be aggravated, "I told you not to." She pouted.

A smirk was definitely in order. I actually managed to let out a small chuckle, "I know you did, but I did it anyway. You'd think that after knowing me for nearly ten years, you'd finally know how this thing works." It was just general knowledge. Whatever she told me to do, I generally did the exact opposite. Well, it had seemed to work thus far…

"Well, whatever you say." She scowled, sitting at the counter, as I pushed her breakfast over to her. The doorbell rang mere moments later and I cocked my head. Who the hell was ringing at 7 in the morning, "Were you expecting someone?" she asked, taking the brief second to look up from her plate to ask.

"No, I wasn't." a moment later, there was a knock on the back door. Something wasn't right. There was not a coincidence in the fact that mere seconds apart the front door and the back door had both been called on. I stood up carefully, trying to weigh the odds of what was going on. If we were going to be ambushed, I was going to have time to shove her out a window at the very most, "Elena, go up to the library and lock the door."

"But-"

"Just do it. There isn't time to argue." I gritted my teeth as the back door began to rattle on its hinges from being knocked on so harshly. Elena's eyes grew huge, as she jumped up and took off sprinting. I hedged my bets and went to the front door first, digging through one of the long-forgotten boxes of vamp-protection gear in the coat closet, pulling the first thing I saw. The Vervain grenade. I pinched my eyes clothed one more time before placing a hand on the door knob and pulling the door open at fast as it would go, pulling the pin from the grenade and chucking it into the hands of the person standing on the other side of the door. There, a shocked expression on his face, stood Elena's brother, "What the hell?" grabbing the thing from his grasp, tossing the thing into the yard, only moments before it exploded, "Jeremy, what are you doing here?"

"Yeah, I'm not the one who just chucked a bomb at someone, Dude." He drawled in disbelief.

"Dude. Really, dude?" I smirked. Typical little brother. Even at the age of twenty-one, he was a child. He just seemed to be the eternal high school kid.

"I'm here to pick up Elena." He said, trying to push past me into the house, "Where is she?"

That incessant noise coming from the back door snapped me back in to what was actually happening, "She's in the library." I locked eyes with him for a moment. Compulsion, "Go join her in the library."

He stood there with a stunned look on his face for a solid minute before he heard the knocking too, "Seriously, man. The smolder eyes might work on the chicks, but I'm as straight as an arrow. Sorry about your luck."

Was my compulsion expression really _that _bad? I shook that off quickly, remembering that he had that damn ring, "Just go check on her. She's - " All of a sudden, there was a crunching sound and the back door flew clear away from its hinging. Without a second thought, I pushed Jeremy to the staircase, "Go up to the library. You'll find Elena. Get her out of here." I managed, before straining to see who had the balls to knock my door out. The sight I found in front of me made me want to bash my own head in. If the kid brother showing up at the wrong time wasn't enough, this definitely was, "Katherine." I groaned, consciously hitting my head against the wall, "What do you want?"

She stuck her bottom lip out, flipping her curled locks, which had gotten reasonably shorter since the last time I'd seen her, "I come back after eight years and that's my greeting?" her façade broke when I went running for the closet for another grenade. I knew it wouldn't do much damage like it would've to any other vampire, but it would have put her bay long enough to get Elena out, since it was obvious that the little brother wouldn't be able to get a handle on her on his own, "Relax. I'm not here to kill anyone this time. I just want to make a deal."

"You know about-"

"Of course I do, Damon. You admitted yourself, I'm always two steps ahead of you. But I'll tell you who doesn't know is Klaus."

I rolled my eyes. I hated the mind games. They quit working a _long _time ago, "Cut to it, Katherine. What do you want. Because the faster I do it for you; the faster you're out of my hair, and I can get back to figuring out what that thing is." She knew I was talking about what Elena kept referring to as her 'baby'.

"I want protection." She crossed her arms over her chest, "Let's just say that there are quite a few people out there right now who aren't the biggest fans of me. And they're closing in pretty damn fast. So, in exchange for my protection, I will tell you what that thing is that is growing inside of your precious Elena."

"How do you know?" I asked through the haze that was going through my mind. I was barely able to make a coherent thought travel from my brain to my lips. I managed to keep the expression up, though, "I need solid proof, then I'll consider it."

"I know because I've been in her position before. Now, we could sit down and have an entire heart to heart, loving family moment," she chuckled sarcastically, "Or, you can seal the deal and we can get the hell out of this town before somebody figures out that the vampires are still here."

"Well, we could potentially be initiated World War III, you do realize?"

"Of course I do."

"Then, you've got yourself a deal."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Hey, guys! Don't forget to review on this chapter! Reviews make Maggi happy! xMags

"Elena, what's going on?" Alaric asked, watching Elena as she paced up and down the hall.

"Don't worry," I answered, collapsing on the couch next to Alaric, pouring both of us a glass of bourbon in the process, "She's taken pacing as some sort of a hobby. Never mind it. She'll be over it in a few minutes."

"Alright," Ric began, all business once more, as he pulled out several ancient-looking books, "Where do you think we should start? I'm not really an expert on the whole werewolf-spawn thing."

"I do actually have something that could help." I stood once more, downing the rest of my drink before walking out to my car, where we had left Katherine. I knew she would stay, too, because if she had left, she'd be on her own with the whole protection thing. And we all know that the last time she tried to protect herself, she ended up being Klaus's slave for the better part of a month.

"Now's your chance." I told Katherine, dragging her out of the car by her arm, "You're going to go in there and tell us everything you know about werewolf children, then I will consider giving you the protection you so desperately need. Don't screw this up."

I made my way back through the door of Alaric's house, only to be stopped dead in my tracks, almost stumbling backwards, forgetting that Katherine had to be invited in, "Hey, Ric," I called in the direction of where I could still see him sitting on the couch dazedly, "I've got your lead."

He quickly jumped up. Alaric looked something like a cartoon rabbit, running directly at us, pulling a Vervain dart in the process, "Wait, wait, _wait!_" I called, as he charged at Katherine with it, "As much as I want you to, it won't do anything to her. She's immune. And she's our connection, so you kill her, you kill any chance we have of figuring out what is going on."

"So can I come in?" Katherine asked, in her most disinterested tone.

Alaric wasn't fooled by it, though. A half smile met his lips and he just laughed, "I think anything we need to know, you can tell us from the porch."

"Well, it's kind of a crapshoot, honestly. It could turn out completely human. It could turn out to be completely werewolf. It could turn out to be a mix of the two. It all depends on which genes are recessive. If the human gene is recessive, then you're going to have issues. If I'm right, that fetus is going to grow slow and it is going to eat her from the inside out. I think you need to either take the thing out, and I mean soon. Or you could just kill her."

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, thanks for the Biology lesson, Kevorkian. Killing her is out of the question. Now that we've gotten the obvious out of the way, how do we take the thing out without killing her?"

"She's too weak for a regular delivery. Even then, if this thing is as strong as I think it will become, she wouldn't even survive a regular delivery." Alaric added.

"I'd say your best bet is to knock her out and tear her open." Katherine said, not even flinching. Her tone was so nonchalant. I mean, we two she didn't give a damn what happened to Elena as long as she was safe, but all the same, not even a hint of shame or remorse in a single word she said.

"You're suggesting that we just hedge our bets, and see if she makes it, and if she doesn't, she just-doesn't?" I asked, "You better come up with something better than that, or you're on your own."

"Well, you realize if you just infuse her drink with your blood before you knock her out, there is no chance that she can die, right?" that did seem kind of appealing. And that did seem like our best bet presently, "You could have her forever." That did sound kind of good at this point, "You could be the father to her baby." I knew exactly what Katherine was trying to accomplish. She was trying to very desperately to make her idea as perfect as possible, so that she would get the protection she was so desperately in need of.

"Alaric, go make sure Elena's okay." I managed to brush him off, before walking out onto the patio and taking her by the neck, slamming her against the front of the house, "Okay, you little bitch. You may have Ric fooled, but not me. I know what you're doing. You're trying to fool with my head, the way you have been for 150 years, and I don't know if you realize this or not, but it doesn't work anymore, so you're going to have to try a lot harder than this, because you made it very clear you didn't give a shit about what happened to me or Stefan, as long as you were alive. Now it's my turn."

What she said next made me flinch, "You blink too much."

"Excuse me?" the way she said made me lighten up on my grip. I could tell I wasn't hurting her anyway. She was actually smiling, laughing even.

"Alpha behavior usually requires that a person doesn't blink. Somehow, blinking shows weakness. And you blink a lot. I can see; as hard as you try, you're never going to be the bad ass alpha male you think of yourself as. And that's why I don't think you're going to kick me out, because you still care. You might not care about me the way you used to, but you wouldn't send me away to be slaughtered like a sheep. You're a blinker, Damon. It means you're the good guy, even if you don't want to be."

I couldn't even come up with something to come back with. My hand dropped to my side and I stood there in a daze, completely befuddled. I was completely frozen to the spot where I stood, admiring the completely cocky smirk that spread across her face. I couldn't help but think that this is how Elena felt when I did this to her.

I was finally pulled out of my daze when Alaric came sprinting into the doorway, a look of utter horror and shock on his face, "Something's wrong with Elena."

A/N: I haven't updated in a while and for that I'm sorry, but I've been working on my Once Upon a Time story called Trembling Tears, which I highly recommend you go check out. Also, if you have any ideas for this story, I'd love to hear them, because I'm running out of ideas myself. Either leave a review of message me. Anyway, after two weeks, here is your new, extra-long chapter. Leave a review!


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: Things are going to take a turn for the weird. Let me know if you like it or not! **_

**When the doorbell rang at 5:30 in the morning the next day, to say I was pissed off would be the understatement of the century. Elena came running into my room, her entire person askew. She was completely frazzled. Even though Katherine had taken up residence in Stefan's room and Jeremy on the couch, there were no sounds from anywhere in the house to show that anybody was making a move toward the door, "Don't **_**anybody move,**_**" I groaned, "I'll get it." Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I trudged down the steps and to the front door. The person who I found standing on my porch was definitely not somebody I would've suspected, "Liz?"**

"**It's been a while, Damon." She started, one hand on her belt, the other outstretched in my direction, "May I come in?"**

"**Little early for a hook up, don't you think?" It was a little weak, but it was the best I had at the present time, so I rolled with and finished out with a solid, "Kinky." She took a step back, giving me a disgusted look.**

"**I've got an hour before I have to be at the station. I was hoping that I could speak to Elena." At my questioning look, she threw her hands up, "I know what it's like…to be a mom. I just want to talk to her. Offering my … help once her child is born."**

"**Believe me, Liz. She's got more help than she wants already. Thanks for stopping by." I tried to slam the door, but she caught it with her steel-toed boot.**

"**All due respect, **_**Damon; **_**I don't think Jeremy, Caroline, and Bonnie are going to cut it. She needs a financially stable adult in the picture."**

"**Well, as far as **_**you're **_**concerned, **_**I **_**am the financially stable adult. She has all the support she needs." I could feel my muscles tense. This bitch had some serious nerve, "Now if that's all you wanted, I'll be seeing you." I nodded, and with that, I attempted again to slam the door, only to be stopped once more.**

"**Let me in, Damon."**

"**And why would I do that?" A genuine question. What was keeping me from stepping onto the porch and ripping her head clear off her shoulders?**

"**I'm just extending a courtesy by knocking. I'll find Elena on my own eventually." There was a smug grin on her face as she waited for my response.**

"**Come in." I whispered, opened the door wider for her, "I'll get Elena. You stay here." I commanded.**

**While walking up the stairs, I briefly considered waking up Katherine to go downstairs and talk to the crazy, but then I knew the Sheriff would know the difference. They were just too **_**different. **_**So I walked back to my room and opened the door as quietly as possible. That's where I saw her. **

**Elena was laying there, in my bed, in **_**my **_**room, sleeping curled up in a tiny ball. It almost made me not want to wake her up. She just looked so peaceful. Though, I knew the Sheriff and she would be up here at any moment if I didn't wake Elena up and get her downstairs fast. I silently approached where she was laying and carefully pressed a palm against her shoulder, shaking her awake in the gentlest way I knew how, "Lena," I whispered, trying not to startle her as she came out of her haze, "Sheriff's downstairs. She wants to talk to you. Do you want to talk to her? If not, I could always…eat her."**

"**I'd take you up on that offer, Damon," she began, throwing the sheets off of her body and balancing herself precariously on her feet once more, "but chances are, she's pumped full of vervain. I'll just go talk to her? Did she say what she wanted?" Elena enquired, as I followed her down the stairs.**

**I thought for a moment that I could play dumb and act like Liz hadn't told me anything, but I quickly voted against that, considering that it had taken a lot to get me back into Elena's good graces. I wasn't going to make one stupid lie and let all of that fall to pieces, "She wants to talk to you about your…situation." I tried to dodge calling it anything in particular, considering we weren't entirely sure what **_**it **_**was yet.**

"**Alright," she nodded, placing her hand on the doorknob at the end of the stairs, leading to the den, where Liz waited impatiently, "You can wait right here. You can listen; just don't come in, please." She whispered under her breath. I could see her, mentally preparing herself for whatever waited on the other side of the door, "Sheriff," she began in greeting. I heard the screech of springs, signaling that they had both taken a seat on their own pieces of rickety furniture. **

"**Elena, how are you holding up?"**

"**I'm doing well, thank you." You could hear the accusatory tone in Elena's voice. It was obvious that she was trying to keep it under control, but could barely contain herself.**

"**And- how is Matt?"**

"**I wouldn't know. I haven't spoken to him since the incident."**

"**And how come you haven't begun to move back in with your brother? I would think that after such an emotionally wracking decision, you would want to move back in with somebody who could help you out a bit."**

"**Oh, Jeremy has plenty on his own plate right now. He's trying to finish college, you know. Anyway, I like it here. As long as I am welcome, I prefer to stay here over anywhere else. I feel safe here." There was a brief lull before Elena finally just cut to the chase, "Sheriff, I know you aren't here just for the cozy catch up, so what do you really want?"**

"**I'd simply like to offer my help when the time comes, should you need any assistance."**

**That had clearly struck a nerve with Elena, "You don't think I can take care of myself?" she squeaked, her voice coming out three octaves higher than usual, "You don't have to beat around the bush, Liz," Ooh, using the first name; impressive, "You don't think I can take care of my own baby. You think I don't have what it takes to be a mother."**

"**Well, if we're going to be frank, then no. I don't believe you have what it takes, but that is for you to decide. I would, however, like a hand in teaching you the ropes."**

"**Because your first attempt turned out so well?" Ooh, burn.**

"**I made plenty of mistakes while raising Caroline. I just want an opportunity to do right by her. You need a firm group for support after your child is born, and you need a financially sound adult. I can do that."**

"**I am a financially sound adult. In case you've already forgotten, I have a PhD."**

"**In parapsychology. You will never be able to hold down a steady job with that degree, Elena!"**

"**I have Damon. And Jeremy. And Ric and Bonnie. Believe me. I have plenty of people that I can come to before I consult with you, Sheriff. And as for fixing your mistakes. That sounds like you have a bone to pick with Caroline and you are not going to throw me and my child into the middle of it."**

"**Who's to say they won't get fed up, or bored even? They have the capability to walk out. I wouldn't do that. I am a **_**responsible adult, offering you financial aide.**_**" Liz was truly befuddled. It would've been almost hilarious if the timing hadn't been so terrible.**

"**Liz, the fact that you had the nerve to come to this house and try to talk to me about this, in lew of everything that's happened just proves that you don't deserve anything. I don't owe you anything."**

"**Elena-"**

"**You go to Hell." Elena spat, charging back through the door and straight into my chest, wrapping her arms around my middle, both hugging and crying simultaneously. I couldn't do anything. I was frozen to my spot. What the hell were you supposed to say to a girl who basically just told the town sheriff, the mother of her best friend, to go f*** herself.**

"**I've got you." I finally managed to say, rubbing small circles on her back. Needless to say, I wasn't good at the whole…comforting…thing. I knew that if I was going to keep up with this girl, I was going to have to become better at it though, and fast.**

"**Can we just go back to bed, Damon?" she asked through sniffles, and I nodded, as she craned her head to look up at me. She looked so- broken.**

"**Yeah, yeah we can." I told her, trying to keep my cool about me, as I picked her up bridal style and sped her back to my room, where she gratefully collapsed back where she had started in the first place and was asleep with minutes. With plenty of time left until the sun rises, I took the opportunity to fall asleep on the couch at the foot of the bed. I only prayed that when Elena woke up, she wouldn't remember any of this.**

_**A/N: So, it has been a LONG time, and I promise to update more frequently. I know this isn't my best writing, but it is just a bridge into things to come! Trust me, I HAVE A PLAN! As always, leave a review, because I love them. If you leave a review, I will personally hand you the keys to the Boarding House…or a cookie. Whatever tickles your pickle. Alrighty then. I'm out! Seeya next time! xMags**_


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